After fierce competition, it was Izzy Taylor and Becky Heappey who came out on top in The Howden Way young horse classes at Upton House.   In the seven-year-old section, Izzy Taylor and Barrington Boy, owned by Johnny Hornby, delivered the only double clear inside the time, securing the title for the second time this season. The pair finished on their dressage score of 24.8, capping off a superb run of form that includes three consecutive wins and six victories overall this year. Their achievements also include a win in the CCI-S 3* at Alnwick Ford and a strong second-place finish in the CCI-L 2* at Ballindenisk.   Speaking after her win, Izzy said: “What a fantastic and exciting horse. Already so reliable, consistent, and a pleasure to produce. Every Barrington horse produced a double clear this week — including the owner himself, Johnny Hornby!”   Tom McEwen and Brookfield Danny De Muze (owned by Alison Swinburn, John and Chloe Perry) finished in second on a score of 32.7, while Aoife Clark and the Ace of Spades Syndicate’s Standfast completed the top three with 35.9.   Six-year-old In the six-year-old division, it was Becky Heappey and her own Orenzo who shone, producing a stylish double clear to finish on 26.0 and take the title. The striking gelding has already made a big impression this season, with three wins to his name so far.   Becky shared her excitement following the win: “I’m totally thrilled! I bought Orenzo last June. He is barely 16hh but is the classiest horse I’ve ever sat on. He has amazing natural balance, he’s supple, powerful, and everything I spent the best part of a year looking for. I was relieved to have done him justice. He’s super special. He did a lovely test, but I think there’s still more to come. My dressage trainer Sam Rahmatalla has been fantastic – both she and Orenzo have inspired me to really up my game on the flat across all my horses.”   Next up for the pair is Aston novice, followed by one more run before heading to the six-year-old championships at Cornbury in September.   Willa Newton and Obama (owned by Mark Hogan, Carmen Pierce and Jackie Taylor) secured second place with a score of 28.0, while Gaspard Maksud and K. LA Belle Story De Rock I Z (owned by Kieran Crumley) took third, finishing on 29.0.   The series, supported by  The Howden Way , is an ideal opportunity for riders to expose their up-and-coming eventers to the atmosphere of bigger venues, while competing against other horses of the same age. The classes offer recognition for the highest performing horses in these classes.    The Young Horse classes take place throughout the spring and summer in some of BE’s most stunning venues with the 6-year-old classes running at novice level, and the 7-year-old classes running at intermediate level. The top three in each class receive an additional £250, £150, £100 respectively on top of the prize money already generated and awarded by the prize money calculator.   For dates of the young horse classes this year, please click  here   Alongside these classes, the performance of young horses competing with British Eventing is acknowledged within The Howden Way Young Horse Leagues which can be found  here . There are four leagues which cover the ages of 5 years, 6 years, 7 years and then the ages of 8 & 9 combined. The leagues display the average of a horse’s three best finishing scores via a Power Based Average score which highlights the ability to repeatedly finish on a low score.   The 2025 Young Horse Championships take place at Cornbury House Horse Trials in Oxfordshire between 11-14 September. The classes will also benefit those aiming their young horses at the FEI World Breeding Championships at Le Lion d’Angers, which hosts a CCI2*-L World Championship for six-year-olds and a CCI3*-L World Championship for seven-year-olds. Horses identified at the Cornbury House Young Horse Championships are invited to The Howden Way Development Days, and if selected, invited to join The Howden Way Young Horse Academy for the following year.  More details of which can be found here:  www.thehowdenway.com/yha Images courtesy of Matt Nuttall Photography.